When pets are left outdoors, it is often desirable for pets to be tethered. Pets are tethered for a variety of reasons, such as preventing the pet from leaving a yard area, or preventing the pet from going into certain areas of a yard, such as into flower beds or bodies of water. Pets are often kept outdoors and tethered to a stationary object, such as a stake which is secured to the ground.
Various pet tethers that have been developed include a pet leash that is attached to a stake in the ground. A long tether allows the dog to move over a wider range of area, yet at the same time, results in a higher likelihood of entanglement. Retractable tethers, which dispense and retract as the pet moves farther or closer away from the retractable tether, have been developed to reduce the likelihood of a tether becoming entangled.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215064 discloses a retractable pet tether attached to a shaft. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0072845 discloses a rotatable and retractable pet tether attached to a spiral stake.
While retractable tethers reduce the likelihood of entangling the tether by reducing the amount of slack on the tether, prior art retractable tethers do not adjust the dispensing of the tether based on which areas within a region of space, for example a yard, the pet is allowed to roam.
The present inventor has recognized a need for a retractable pet tether that can restrict additional feeding of the tether based on the position of the pet. The smart pet tether can maximize the area the pet is allowed to roam, while restricting pets from off limits areas by using a passive retreat mechanism.
The present inventor has recognized the need for a retractable pet tether also capable of training a pet to know the limits of the free range area.